Body Full of Crystals
A micrograph shows calcium oxalate crystals in urine. These small crystals can develop to form renal stones.Copyright 2001 NASA http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/background/facts/renal.html
Students learn about various crystals, such as kidney stones, within the human body. They also learn about how crystals grow and ways to inhibit their growth. They also learn how researchers such as chemical engineers design drugs with the intent to inhibit crystal growth for medical treatment purposes and the factors they face when attempting to implement their designs. A day before presenting this lesson to students, conduct the associated activity, Rock Candy Your Body.
Numerous kinds of crystals occur in the human body. Many of these crystals impair humans by causing pain or disabilities. Engineers and physicians study the mechanisms of crystal growth to determine ways in which crystal growth can be blocked. They design new drugs that attach to crystals to inhibit further growth, are biocompatible with minimal side effects to the human body, and can be administered efficiently and effectively.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Describe the process of crystallization in the body and how it affects the normal functions of the urinary system.
- List other crystallization processes in the human body and the problems they may cause.
- Identify how engineers design drugs and why they choose certain ones over others.
- Explain efficacy and potency and the differences between the two.
- Describe why crystals may form different shapes when inhibition occurs.